What happens when a critical care nurse becomes a cancer survivor and turns trauma into transformation?

Join me as I sit down with Stephanie (Stef) Gayhart (she/they)—a queer, genderqueer nurse, cancer survivor, and trauma-informed coach whose lived experience redefines what holistic healing can look like. Stef’s journey takes us from the bedside to the boardroom, and ultimately to the founding of Purple Phoenix Survivorship. We’ll dive deep into the barriers to cancer screening faced by gender minority populations, the importance of trauma-informed peer support, and how those with lived experience are driving real change in healthcare.

At the heart of our conversation is the urgent need for culture and identity-affirming care in cancer treatment. Too often, marginalized individuals encounter additional layers of bias and hardship during diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship. Stef’s work shines a light on the power of affirming care—care that not only recognizes, but celebrates, the unique identities and needs of each patient.Tune in for inspiration, practical advice, and a candid discussion that champions advocacy, healing, and the transformation that comes from centering culture and identity within cancer care.

Here is a Little About Stef:Stephanie (Stef) Gayhart (she/they) is a queer, genderqueer cancer survivor, nurse, and trauma-informed coach. After completing nursing school in 2011, she worked bedside in critical care for 8 years until her diagnosis with stage 3 oral tongue cancer in August 2019. Her unique experiences as both a cancer survivor and nurse led her to pursue her Master in Healthcare Innovation from Ohio State University School of Nursing in 2023, and then to obtain trauma-informed coaching training and certification in 2024.

Stef left the healthcare system in 2024 to found Purple Phoenix Survivorship, LLC (www.stefgayhart.com) where they provide coaching and consulting and have worked on various projects centered on trauma-informed care and coaching. In May 2025 Stef had their first article published in Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing entitled Barriers and Solutions to Cancer Screening in Gender Minority Populations. She was also listed as a co-author in an abstract presented at ASCO in May 2025 highlighting the work she was a part of with building a trauma-informed peer support program for cancer survivors called Presently.

Stef lives in Maryland with her son and their cat, and volunteers actively with both the Ulman Foundation and National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS).